Herboo - innovation in a bottle
Published:Saturday | December 21, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Tamara Bailey, Gleaner Writer
Cedar Grove, Manchester:
He was only 18 when the need for job creation and nation building took hold of him. With an immeasurable urge to have Jamaicans realise the wealth of talent and quality in available products, Javin Williams, managing director of Herboo Enterprise, began his business.
Herboo Enterprise, which began officially in June 2012, is a herbal cosmetics company that uses all-natural, indigenous plants such as sorrel, lemon grass, rosemary, and peppermint to concoct shampoos, body wash liquids, and hair oil.
Williams, who, with a combination of his love for biology and Brand Jamaica, had always thought about ways to commercialise Jamaican plants, first mounted a display and took a big step, entering an entrepreneurship competition.
"I got some good feedback from the display. A lot a people signed up and wanted to buy our products. One such reason is because it's sulphur free and persons are becoming aware of the effects of sulphur, and that just motivated us to continue," Williams said.
Grateful to mother
The small company, aided by the Scientific Research Council of Jamaica, has a staff of five, and with a few freelance sales representatives, currently operates out of Williams's home.
"I really have to be grateful to my mother for her kitchen and all the amenities," said Williams, who then told us of the production process.
"We gather and clean fresh herbs to get rid of microbial bacteria and then dry them. After that, we proceed to do an extraction, a water extraction. The liquid is then strained and mixed with organic oil - coconut oil, pimento oil, olive oil, among others - for sudding.
"We only extract certain parts because a plant, like for example, the rosemary, has aspects that we wouldn't want in the product because it would affect the shelf life," stated Williams.
The products - which boast a 500-plus clientele and can be found at several locations including Three Angels Pharmacy, Park View Pharmacy, and James Family Pharmacy in Mandeville, as well as the Acorn Bookstore in Kingston - have several benefits, which include prevention of itching, dandruff, balding, slowing the process of greying, and adding body and lustre to the hair.
The young entrepreneur, who is currently faced with financial constraints and limited time, is a part-time university student but is still very committed to building his merchandise and helping people.
"I want to make several items from natural herbs - lip balm, bar soap, hair gel, toothpaste, hair spray, lotion, and all the cosmetics you can think of. I want to make them with true organic herbs.
"When I encounter persons in and out of my community and they ask me about the work I've been doing, I always tell them they can do the same. All Jamaicans have talent. I find it hard to believe there is a Jamaican without talent, and I want to help my peers to create jobs."
Williams has since employed a young member of his community, Valdain Wilson, as a production assistant so he can hone the necessary skills for his future endeavours
"Since I've been working with Herboo, I've learnt so much. It has been a great experience for me. It has even helped me with understanding certain aspects of business. I want to own and operate a computer-repair shop," said Williams.
He has as his long-term goals seeing a factory built in Mandeville and having his trucks delivering products locally as well as shipping them internationally.
Photos by Tamara Bailey